Mail-box.



W. H. DODSON.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.31,1912.

1,054,91 1 Patented Mar; 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR WARREN H DODSON ll m 14mm;

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 20., WASHINGTON. n. c.

. W. H.-DODSON.

MAIL BOX.

AP ILIGATION FILBD JAN. 31, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR WARREN H DODSON his Allarney I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN I-I. nonson, or BovrLL, IDAHO.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. 4 Patented lVIar, 4, 1913. Application filed January 31', 1912. Serial No. 674,516. o Y i the following is a specification, reference be i suitable mechanism for governing the same.

' ing.

ing had therein to the accompanying draw- This "invention relates to mail delivery devices of the type wherein a mail box is carried. from one point to another on an' elevated track, said box being provided with The principal object of the invention isto improve the general construction of'devices of this character. H v Another object of the invention istop-rovide an improved form of controlling device whereby the act of opening and closing the mail box door will reverse the direction of movement of the box.

With the above and other objects inview, the invention consists in general of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts aswill be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference, indicate like parts inithe several views, and Figure 1 is a longitudinal median section taken vertically through a box constructed in accordance with this invention- Fig. 2 is a section .on the line 2-2,

Fig. 1.- Fig.3 is anenlarged detail view of the device used for reversing the electric current which furnishes power for propel ling the box. Fig. at is a detail perspective 1 view of thestop mechanism used in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail ofa portion of said StOp mechanism showing the means used for cutting off the current at the end ofthe route. Fig. 6 is adetailfishowing the speed controlling device.

The invention as illustrated in the pres- I ent embodiment consists of a cylindrical with a handle 15 for convenience in oper-:

' I body 10 havingconical ends 11 one whereof is split h0rizontallyas1at12 to provide a door 13 w'hich is hinged to the body of the box as at 14:. This door is also provided ating the same. Extending upward from the body 10 are standards 16 upon each of which is carried awheel 17 which is adapted to run upon an overhead wire 18, the wlre also forming a conductor and being con nected to a suitable source of electric energy as indicated by the battery 19, it being undelfstooo that this battery is merely typical 3 of an desired source of electric ener De- 1no'tor24'having a shaft 25 whereon is mounted a speedcontrollingdevice 26 inthe nature of a spring controlled governor. Provision is made for adjusting the governor. by asset screw 27 which acts tomove a frictionplate 28 to and from the movable plate 29 of saidgovernor. On the shaft 25 is a belt pulley 30 which is connected by a belt 31. with a belt pulley 32 forming a part of one of the wheels 17.. 1 p i At 33 is a switch board whereto is pivoted a lever 34, the lever being pivoted as at 35. The switch board is provided with a cut out portion, the sides ofwhich form arcsof a circle having. its center at 35. By reference to Flg. 3 it willbe seen that these arcs terminate at each endin recurved portions forming pockets 36 and. 37. Thelever itself is provided with a slot 38 terminatingat each end in a pocket 39. Onthe switchboard 33 is mounted a set of contacts, these contacts being four in number and arranged in pairs,

the respective contacts of the respective lpairsbeing indicated atfLO and 41. The contacts 40 are connected by suitable wiring to one pole 42 of the motor-while the contacts 41 are connected to the otheripole of said motor, On the lever are mounted other contacts similarly arranged in pairs, the respective contacts of the respecgtive pairs being indicated at 4A and 45. I

tion the contacts {10 andAA will bein engagement while in a second position the contacts 40 and 5&5 will be in engagement.

By this means current passing to th e motor reversed, it being understood that suitable wires 46' and et7 connect the contacts Mend 45 with the trolley pole and one of the brackets 16 respectively.

I 'Movable within the slot 38 is stroller 48 which is carried on an arm 49 provided with a slot 50 which engages' over a guide pin 57 carried on a bracket 52 adjacent the door end of the device. Pivoted to a second bracket 53 is a bell crank lever 54, one arm of which is connected by a ring 55 with the door 13 while the remaining arm is connected by a reach rod 56 with the bar 49.

In order to understand the operation of the reversing mechanism let it be supposed that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. If the operator opens the door the bell crank lever will rotate on its pivot and the bar 49 will be drawn forward, the roller 48 being at this time located in one of the pockets 39 will cause the lever 34 to rotate about its pivot point until the roller 48 engages in the pocket 87 at the other end of the respective arc. \Vhenthe operator closes the door the roller 48 will pass out of the pocket 39 and will move up along the slot 38 until it reaches the opposite end thereof. It is to be noted that when the roller 48 is in one of the pockets 37 the contacts 44 and will be out of engagement with the contacts 40 and 41. After the roller has reached the opposite end of the slot 38 further movement of the bar 34 by the closing of the door will cause said roller to pass in the respective pocket 36 and this will force the contacts 44 and 45 into engagement with the contacts 40 and 41, thus reversing the current. It will thus be observed that every time a door is opened the direction of the current flow is reversed so that when the device reaches the station for which it is destined the mere opening and closing of the door will reverse the current so that then the machine is ready to run in the opposite direction, or, in other words, back to the other end of the line.

For the purpose of controlling the device and cutting oii' the current from the motor a suitable lever switch 57 is interposed in the wiring between the contacts 40 and 41 and the poles 42 and 43 of the motor. This switch is controlled by an arm 58 which passes out of the slot 59 in the side of the body 10. For the purpose of supporting the wires in parallel relation the usual pole line is used and at each end the respective pole 60 carries a T-shaped bracket 61 whereto the wires 18 and 23 are connected. Carried on the bracket is a spiral spring 62 so arranged that the point of the conical termination of the mail box can enter the spring and compress the same thus checking the movement of the box gradually and without vviolence.

Extending outward from the pole 60 is an arm 68 which has an angularly disposed outer end 64 extending parallel to the wires 18 and 23. At the outer end of this extremity 64 is a pocket 65 wherein is pivoted a latch 66 yieldably held in a downward position by meansof a spring 67. This latch extends downward in such position that when the switch arm 58 comes into engagement with the latch the switch will be turned to open position but the spring is of suflicient resiliency so that when the switch arm 58 arrives at the end of the slot 59 the spring will yield and permit the passage of the mail box to the terminus. The latch is so arranged that the box cannot bounce back from the spring 62 and run backward down the line with the power shut off.

It will, of course, be obvious, that the box may be released by raising the box by hand.

In the operation of the device, mail or other article to be sent from one station to another being placed in what may be termed the forward compartment of the mail box, a partition 68 being employed to divide the engine or motor space from the balance of the box, the operator closes the lid 13 and in so doing moves the switch lever 34 as previously described and establishes a circuit in the proper direction to run the box to the other end of the line. He then lifts the latch 66 and moves the switch lever 58 to complete the circuit through the motor. The box Will then run to the opposite end of the line. When it reaches the opposite end of the line it will be checked by the spring 62 just previous to which the latch 66 at that end of the line will have acted to move the switch lever 58 and break the circuit. The operator at the end of the line then opens the door, takes out the mail, and again closes the door, which reverses the direction of the current. He then repeats the operation of lifting the latch and throwing the lever 58 and the box returns to its original station.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a pair of conducting wires mounted on suitable supports located in an electric circuit, a mail carrier receptacle connected with and movable on said conducting wires, an electric motor located in said receptacle and electrically connected with said conducting wires, a propelling mechanism connected with said electric motor, a reversible switch for reversing the current, and a hinged cover connected with said switch and operative to throw the same.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a pair of conducting wires mounted on posts and located in an electric circuit, a mail carrier receptacle connected to said conducting wires by means of trolley wheels, an electric motor-located in said carrier and electrically connected with said conducting Wires, a propelling mechanism connecting the shaft of said motor with one of said trolley wheels, a switch lever and a reversing switch located in said carrier, and electria and the switch lever for changing the circuit through said brushes and reversing the current.

'3. In an apparatus of the character described, a pair of conducting wires mounted on posts and located in an electric circuit, a mail carrier receptacle connected. to said conducting wires by trolley wheels, an electric motor located in said mail carrier receptacle a switch lever, a propelling mechanism connecting one of said trolley wheels with the shaft of said electricomotor, a reversing switch mechanism connected with said electric circuit and with the brushes of the motor, and a hinged door at one end of said carrier, a rod hinged to said door and connected to the switch lever of said reversing switch whereby. the switch may be thrown in either direction by the opening and closing of said door to reverse the cur rent. e o

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN H. DODSON.

lVitnesses:

S. G. BROCKWAY, ALFRED BILSEMEIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. p 

